Reborn in the late Northern Wei Dynasty

Chapter 383 Zumo Qian (4000)

Some people follow the rules and treat the upper class with warmth like spring. For example, Xiao Yan, since the founding of Nanliang, has always adhered to the policy of preferential treatment for the nobles.

There are also people who don't follow the rules and eat extremely ugly, such as Er Zhurong, in order to take a shortcut and realize his ambition, he brazenly slaughtered the prince in Heyin.

Of course, there are many people in this world who talk about the rules, but they don't look good when they eat. The emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty is a representative figure among them.

As we all know, Xiao Gao Wang is a man of rules, but the rules have to be set by him, no matter whether the rules are reasonable or not, as long as you are under his rule, you have to accept it.

The Northern Qi Dynasty inherited the Northern Wei Dynasty's land equalization system, allocating unowned land for the common people. The government decree clearly stipulated it, so it was natural to abide by it.

But Gao Cheng has the final say on what is called unclaimed land, Xiao Yan can't say that this field is yours, it is yours.

The Northern Qi inherited the Northern Wei, not the Southern Liang, and the contract of the Southern Liang was not recognized by King Xiao Gao, and it cannot be said that it was unreasonable to make trouble.

Ever since Wei Xiaokuan went to Jiangnan in person and told him how the Jiangnan gentry used Zumo money to crazily exploit the people, Gao Cheng already understood that no matter how good he was to the southern gentry, it was impossible for him to be as good as Xiao Yan.

If Nanliang had the strength to make the Northern Expedition, they would still welcome Master Wang respectfully. After all, living in Northern Qi would not be comfortable under Bodhisattva Xiao.

Since it is impossible to make the southern gentry lean towards themselves through wooing, it is better to go directly to the bottom line and take all the land occupied by the Huainan gentry tyrants into public ownership and distribute them to the poor.

People at the bottom may be easily deceived. Gao Cheng has done this kind of thing a lot, but he never dared to underestimate the power of these people.

As long as they get their support, the Northern Qi Dynasty can take root in Huainan. If the gentry tyrants dare to make trouble, it is definitely not just Gao Cheng's threat to relocate all those people to Gao Huan's mausoleum.

The so-called imperial power does not go to the countryside, and the gentry needs to help maintain local order. At worst, some of the Sanhe area and offshoots of the Guanlong gentry will be relocated to Huainan.

In the final analysis, these Huainan gentry did not have the conditions to make Gao Cheng retreat under the Northern Qi's soldiers.

This is not without disadvantages. The experience of the Huainan gentry was seen by the Jiangnan tyrants, and the rabbit died and the fox was sad. If they want to cross the south of the Yangtze River in the future, they are bound to arouse their tenacious resistance.

But correspondingly, the gentry resisted the Qi army desperately for fear of their own interests being damaged, but the people at the bottom would also stand on the side of the Northern Qi in order to be able to share the land.

These days some people regard the Northern Dynasties as barbarians and Gao Cheng as a captive, such as Yang Yaren who died in the south of Taishan County, but more low-level people who have been bullied don't care about the so-called righteousness of the nation.

When Hou Jing crossed the river, suffering from insufficient soldiers, Yice forced the nobles to release their slaves and maidservants, thus gaining the support of slaves and maidservants, and quickly grew.

A Jie person can still be accepted, not to mention Gao Cheng is close to Xianbei, and has always flaunted his Han origin of the Gao family in Bohai.

Perhaps in the future, when the Northern Qi Dynasty crossed the south of the Yangtze River, it would be a vigorous slave liberation movement.

The people at the bottom of Jiangnan do not know when they will be able to look forward to the dawn, but the servants and maidservants in Huainan have indeed ushered in the opportunity to change their destiny.

Gao Cheng's arrangement of this banquet was not limited to granting land, of course, the release of slaves was his second attack on the Huainan gentry.

But compared to seizing their land, the Huainan gentry were clearly prepared for the release of slaves. After all, this is not a new thing. Gao Cheng had been forcing the northern gentry to release their slaves and maidservants in the early years. Reason they can escape.

Seeing the well-behaved and sensible appearance of the patriarchs and elders present, Gao Cheng waved his hand, and the guards followed Master Yao to put away their knives.

The conversation that followed was relaxed and pleasant, regarding Gao Cheng’s demands, such as handing over the hidden population, servants and maidservants, cooperating with the government to register them, assigning acres of land, and becoming taxpayers.

At the same time, Gao Cheng also encouraged them to actively engage in production and business activities, such as trade, without violating imperial decrees.

The Northern Qi Dynasty did not suppress business at the political level. As long as you paid the business tax in full and did not violate the laws and regulations, your descendants can still participate in the imperial examinations and shine on your family.

Even after going through the most difficult financial period, Gao Cheng has let go of the monopoly of the imperial court on the salt market and allowed the emergence of private salt, but there will be no less tax that should be collected.

This is Gao Cheng's compensation for the gentry under the Northern Qi Dynasty. Including the Huainan gentry, he forced them to hand over a large amount of land and release the hidden population and servants. A little sweetness.

But hoarding and driving up prices are strictly prohibited, especially for commodities that are related to the daily needs of the people. Those who dare to use them to make profits will be hit hard.

At the same time, Gao Cheng also made a promise to the Huainan gentry that there will be no regional bias in the imperial examination, everything will be based on talent, and you will not be biased just because you are a Huainan student.

This is the most concerned issue of the Huainan gentry during this trip.

The official selection system between the Northern Qi Dynasty and the Southern Liang Dynasty is different. The Northern Qi Dynasty mainly uses the imperial examination system, supplemented by the Yin official system, and the two go hand in hand.

For example, Gao Jun and Gao Yan, Gao Cheng's two younger brothers, served as governors, and they followed the path of shadow officials, entrusting them with their father's shadow.

Although Nanliang created the Five Classics Museum to provide opportunities for students from poor families to rise, they still use the nine-rank Zhongzheng system as the main official selection system.

The Northern Qi occupied Huainan, and wanted to fully integrate it into its own system. Naturally, it was impossible for the Huainan gentry to become officials under the nine-rank Zhongzheng system.

For the Huainan gentry, what they were most worried about was the prejudice of the imperial court and the suppression of the northern gentry under the imperial examination system.

Obtaining a promise from Gao Cheng also made their trip finally fruitful, but compared to the past nine-rank Zhongzheng system where no matter the foolish and wise can become officials, the so-called promise only provides a fair environment.

But there is no fairness in the true sense. For example, if Huainan scholars can really occupy the majority of the list of Jinshi, then there will naturally be an invisible hand that will make adjustments behind the scenes to protect the north, especially Hebei. The interests of the gentry.

There is nothing to complain about. As Gao Cheng said before, the Hebei gentry risked their lives to follow the Gao family to start a business. Why should they be treated equally politically while being suppressed with the Huainan gentry? Then they followed the Gao family to start a business. , Figure what.

This kind of political preferential treatment will not last for a long time. For example, in the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin once said: Don't use southerners as prime ministers.

The root cause lies in the north and south of the Northern Song Dynasty, and we must give priority to protecting the interests of our own basic disk.

But after only a few decades, it was broken in the Song Zhenzong period.

Perhaps it was not until the later period of Gao Cheng's rule that the Jiangnan region was fully developed that the political privileges of northern scholars would be taken back.

The next day, that is, the first year of Zhaode (548), on September 21, Gao Cheng issued an edict in Hefei, abolishing all exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes of Nanliang in Huainan, ordering the gentry to surrender their hidden population, release slaves and maidservants, and Use the form of employment instead, but abuse of servants is strictly prohibited.

At the same time, all strata in Huainan were informed that the previous land deeds were all invalidated, and the fields were allocated again in accordance with the provisions of the equal-field system. All men over the age of 15 were granted 80 mu of open field and women 40 mu.

Men are granted another mulberry field, calculated according to the existing Dingkou, which shall not exceed 20 mu, and the prescribed mulberry, jujube, elm and other trees shall be planted within 3 years. Buying and selling, but it can be sold to the government.

Once the decree was issued, countless people at the bottom cheered and cheered, but there were also people who complained endlessly. It was not the gentry, but the rich peasant class.

The announcement that Nanliang's land deeds will all be invalid has aroused their strong dissatisfaction. Perhaps under the land equalization system, the land they can get will not be less than the original, or even more.

However, the original land was privately owned by them, and even if there were more acres, they still belonged to public land, which was equivalent to renting from the imperial court and paying taxes.

However, in the context of the gentry's compromise, their opposition was insignificant, especially since the Northern Qi Dynasty gained the support of a wider class of poor peasants and slaves.

Besides, this tax was nothing compared to Nanliang's exorbitant taxes before, so it was only a verbal complaint, and he was still willing to accept Gao Cheng's decree.

Taxes in Nanliang are extremely heavy. Bodhisattva Xiao not only treats scholars preferentially, but also Buddhism does not need to pay taxes or serve corvee.

It's not like Xiao Gao Wang, no matter who he is, he treats him equally and has to pay him taxes.

Bodhisattva Xiao treated the gentry preferentially, so he naturally imposed extremely heavy taxes on the people at the bottom. There must be someone to be exploited.

Since all classes are taxpayers, and the rent of public land can make up part of the country's expenses, the tax revenue of Northern Qi is actually much lower than that of Southern Liang.

Once the decree was issued, the movement to release slaves and divide land was carried out in full swing in various parts of Huainan.

In fact, Nanliang also distributed land. Xiao Yan had ordered in his early years that all abandoned land and houses that were confiscated as public land would be distributed to the poor, except for the part that had been cultivated by the government.

But with Xiao Yan's connivance to the clan and nobles, how effective this so-called prohibition order can be.

For example, Xiao Yan’s sixth younger brother, Xiao Hong, had an affair with Xiao Yan’s eldest daughter, Princess Yongxing, and planned to usurp the throne with her, and ordered his servants to assassinate Xiao Yan. He was demoted and dismissed from office, but he was soon restored to official rank. In 520, he was promoted to Taiwei, Yangzhou governor, and servant. In 526, when Xiao Hong was seriously ill and was about to die, Xiao Yan went to visit him seven times. After Xiao Hong died, He was buried with a very high standard.

Xiao Yan's tolerance towards the clan can even be said to be appalling, which is why Xiao Yuanming can continue to be reused.

Xiao Hong's assassination of Xiao Yan and his incest with Xiao Yan's daughter can be forgiven, not to mention that Xiao Yuanming earned a lot of face for Nan Liang when he was studying in Northern Qi.

At the time when land was allocated to the people in various parts of Huainan, a large number of newly minted coins from the Northern Qi Dynasty also arrived in Huainan's prefectures and counties, and Gao Cheng also started to draft an imperial edict.

After the founding of the Northern Qi Dynasty, presided over by Gao Longzhi, Zhaode Tongbao was newly minted, which is also a full-fledged currency. The folks can exchange it with the general's five baht coins, and the government will redeem them. The redeemed general's five baht coins will be melted and continue to be minted currency.

In the first year of Zhaode (548), on September 27, Gao Cheng issued an edict to prohibit the circulation of the original Nanliang Zumo money, and the people in Huainan can exchange Zhaode Tongbao in equal amounts with the local government.

The collected Zumo money, Gao Cheng did not mint new coins like the general's five baht coins, but planned to secretly transport them to Nanliang, and with the help of Xiao Yuanming, purchase smuggled materials.

As for whether Xiao Yuanming would agree to help, there was no need to worry.

Although Xiao Yuanming accepted four concubines, it did not affect their relationship at all. After all, King Gao mobilized the civil and military forces of the Northern Qi Dynasty to build momentum for Xiao Yuanming and put aside the defeat of Bagong Mountain. This kindness cannot be repaid easily.

Besides, the four daughters Zhang, Yu, Wang, and Ruan were originally prisoners of the Northern Qi Dynasty, so they were not considered concubines given by Xiao Yuanming.

Now Xiao Yuanming is guarding Danyang and controlling the patrolling navy. Such a good position is not used to smuggle supplies, which is really a waste. Of course, Gao Cheng does not eat alone. The profit is [-], which is reserved for Xiao Yuanming and his patrolling navy. Drink some soup and make a good relationship.

Gao Cheng exchanged the same amount of Zhaode Tongbao for a large amount of Zumoqian. After all, Zumoqian is the designated common currency in Nanliang. Can it be less, this is an unimaginably huge existence.

And Zumo money is at another price in Nanliang, 35 yuan can be used as 100 yuan, and there is a difference of 65 yuan.

Even if the transportation costs are included, the profits can still go to sea. It is conceivable how much wealth Gao Cheng plans to give Xiao Yuanming and his 3000 river cruisers [-]% of the profits.

Maybe one day the Northern Qi tried to sneak across the Yangtze River, and they would find that the patrolling navy had already been bribed by their own emperor.

Gao Cheng did not intend to order Gao Longzhi to forge Zumo coins. He estimated that when the batch of Zumo coins in Huainan were thrown at the Jiangnan market, it would be enough to reduce the value of the coins. Use of chaos.

You see, Gao Cheng, the grandson-in-law, is so considerate, and also worried about Xiao Yan's money market. With such a marriage, Xiao Yan has made a lot of money.

It's just the depreciation of Zumo money, and the fact that Gao Cheng bought a large amount of supplies and smuggled them to the north. Under the double effect, I am afraid that the money will be cheap and the goods will be expensive. , and then deal a heavy blow to Nanliang's economy, what the situation in Jiangnan will be is none of his business.

It's not bad that I didn't give you Xiao Yan's counterfeit money to make things worse.

Afterwards, according to Gao Ji’s statistics, just using Huainan Zumo money to plunder Nanliang economically, the income obtained is enough to offset the consumption of materials for the Southern Expedition, as well as post-war rewards and pensions, which is equivalent to Gao Chengbai earning a Huainan , and more than [-] pieces of cloth and silk that Nanliang bought prisoners of war.

Don't forget the wedding gift from the enthusiastic Nanliang monarchs and ministers to King Xiaogao, ten houses full of gifts, plus [-] bolts of silk from Xiao Yan.

Nice guy.

　1000 words are missing, but I really can't hold it anymore. I drank some wine while watching the football game. I'm going to be sleepy. Good night everyone.

　　Thank you book friend Wuhen for your reward.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)